Percy b



(No Model.)

P. B. BOSWORTH.

AUTOMATIG VENDING APPARATUS.

Patented May 7., 188-9.

W/T'IVESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS. Phnla-Liihogmpher. Washinglan; D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY B. BOSWVORTI-I, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOCHRISTIAN BAECHTOLD, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,800, dated May 7,1889.

I Application filed February 13, 1889- Serial No. 299,726 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY B. BOSWORTH, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, a citizen of the United States,

have invented certain new and useful Improiements in Automatic VendingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved vending apparatus of that class inwhich a mer- Io chandise-delivery slide is released by the dropping of acoin into a coin-chute; and the invention consists of a vendingapparatus the casin g of which is provided with a merchandisc-deliverychute, a recessed delivery-slide 1 guided in said casing and providedwith a slot that registers with a slot of the casing and thedelivery-opening of the coin-chute, acoinchute attachedv to thedelivery-slide and twisted from a transverse position at its upper endinto a vertical position at its lower end, a pivoted locking-lever theshank of which is guided in a recess of the coin-chute,

- while its recessed upper part engages a fixed lug of thedelivery-slide, and a pendent gate hinged to the delivery-slide andforming contact with the channel at the upper part of the coin-chute, soas to prevent the withdrawal of coins or other devices that areintroduced into the coin-chute for tampering with the locking mechanism.

The invention consists, further, of additional elements and details ofconstruction, which will be fully described hereinafter, and finallypointed out in the claims.

3 5 In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent verticallongitudinal sections of my improved automatic vending apparatus,showing the same respectively in a normally-locked position and in openposition, with the delivery-slide drawn out and released from thelocking mechanism; and Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections,respectively, on line a: w and 'y 11 Fig. 1..

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts.

In the drawings, A represents the casing of my improved automaticvending apparatus, which is provided with a larger lower part, A, andwith an upper smaller part, A in which latter the merchandisc-deliverychute or chamber B is located. A horizontal partition, to, divides theupper and lower parts of the casing A, said partition being provided atthe interior of the casing A wit-l1 a recess, a, for

the U-shaped rear end of the delivery-slide 5 5.

O. The rear part of the delivery-slide O is guided in the recess a ofthe partition a, the upper end of the U-shaped rear part of thedelivery-slide being guided in a recess, 19, of the front wall upperpart of the casing A at the lower end of the delivery-chute B. The frontend of the U-shaped rear part of the delivery-slide C is flanged, so asto close the recess in the front wall of the upper part of the casing A,as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The rear part of the delivery-slide O is provided next adjoining theflange, at the front end, with a recess, cl, which corresponds in sizeto the delivery-opening of the chute B and the merchandise that is fedfrom said chute B on the partition m below the chute B and recess (1, sothat the merchandise in the chute Bsuch as confectionery-may be suppliedone at a time into the recessed rear part of the delivery-slide andmoved in forward direction with the same, so as to be dropped onto thelower part, A, of the casing in front of the upper part, A as shown inFig. 2. The main part of the delivery-slide C extends through an openingin the front wall of the lower part of the casing A to the outside, andis provided with a knob or hook by which it is pulled in outwarddirection whenever the locking mechanism of the delivery-slide isreleased. 8 5

To the rear wall of the lower part of the casing A, and to the rear endof the deliveryslide 0, is attached a helical spring, 0, which serves toreturn the delivery-slide 0 into its normal position after it has beenpulled out. 0 In the top of the lower part, A, of the casing A, andvertically above a slot, e, in the front end of the delivery-slide, isarranged a trans verse slot, 6, for dropping the coin by which thelocking mechanism is released. The slot e registers with the slot 6 inthe deliveryslide 0, and with the upper opening of acoinchute, E, whichis attached to the under side of the delivery-slide The upper part ofthe coin chute E is arranged in vertical position transversely to thedelivery-slide (J, while the middle part of the coin-chute A is twisted,so that the lower end assumes a vertical position parallel with the sidewalls of the easing A, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

Adjoining the upper part of the coin-chute E and back of the same ishinged to the under side of the delivery-slide C a pendent gate, E,which forms contact at its lowerend with the middle part or channel ofthe coin.- chute E, and which is moved back whenever a coin dropped intothe coin-chute, but which is instantly returned into contact with thecoin-chute when the coin has moved past the gate. The gate E preventsthe withdrawal of any coin, wire, or other implement inserted into thecoin-chute with a view of releasing the locking mechanism, but with outpaying the proper equivalent for the merchandise delivered. The pendentgate serves thus as a safety device by which tampering with the vendingapparatus is prevented.

To a bracket-arnnf, attached to the rear wall of the casing A, isfulcrumed a locking lever, F, which engages byits recessed upper part orlatch a fixed lug, f, at the underside of the delivery-slide C, whilethe lower end or shank of the lever F is guided in a recess, f in theupper edge of the lower end of the coin-chute E, as shown clearlyinFig. 1. The shank of the lever F is made in the shape of a wire of thethickness of the coin required for releasing the locking-lever, saidshank being guided in the lower end of the coin-chute in following thepressure of the coin on the same.

A guard-hook, G, is pivoted to a bracketarm, q, sidewise of thecoin-chute E, and intended for the purpose of preventing the shank ofthe locking-lever swinging too far backward in case the vendingapparatus is not supported in horizontal position. The pivoted guardhookG prevents the clearing of the wire shank of the locking-lever from thelower end of the coin-chute and forms a second safeguard by which theproper working of the releasing mechanism is secured.

The operation of my improved vending apparatus is as follows: \Vhen acoin is dropped through the coin-slot at the front part of the casing A,it is passed through the slot of the delivery-slide into the uppertransverse part of the coin-chute, then by gravity in downwarddirection, so as to push the hingedgatc aside and roll with considerablemomentum into the lower vertical part of the coin-chute, where itstrikes against the wire shank of the lockinglever, so as to move thesame backward and release the latch from the lug of the delivery-slideU, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereby the latter can be drawnin forward direction, so as to deliver a piece of confectionery or otherarticle of merchandise to the front part of the casing, whence it isremoved by the party who has dropped the coin into the apparatus. Assoon as the dclivery-slide is moved forward the coin which has beenretained in the lower end of the coinchute by a block or abutmenton therearwall of the casing is dropped to the bottom of the casing asthe'coin-chuteis also moved forward and provides sufficient spacebetween i lower end and the abutment for the dropping of the coin. Thetwisted shape of the coin-chute has the advantage that the coin passesfrom a vertical transverse position to a vertical. position parallelwith the side walls of the casi n g, by which tampering with theapparatus is prevented, as itdoes not permit the draw ing back of thecoin when once dropped. The twisted coin chute also serves to retard. asheet-metal disk of less weight than the coin required for releasing thelocking-latch, which thereby arrives at the lower end with lessmomentum, so as not to overcome the inertia of the locking-lever andrelease the same from the lug of the delivery-slide. It thus appearsthat a high degree of security against tamperin g with the vendingapparatus is obtained by the coin-chute in connection with the pendentgate at the upper part of the same and the guard-hook that works inconnection with the wire shank of the locking-lever at the lower end ofthe coin-chute. As the vending apparatus is made of comparatively simpleconstruction, it can be made at a comparatively small expense and canthereby compete with similar vending apparatus in the market.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a merchandise-delivery chute, aguided and spring-acia1ated delivery-slide having a recessed rear partvertically in line with the delivery-chute, a coin-chute attached to thedelivery-slide vertically below a coin-slot in the casing, alocking-lever below the delivery-slide, the shank of which is guided inthe lower end of the coin-chute, and a fixed lug at the under side ofthe delivery-slide that is engaged or released by the latch of thelocking-lever, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a guided and spriilgactuated delivery-slidehavinga slot registering with a coin-slot in the casing of the apparatus, acoin-chute attached to the deli verysl'ide below the slot of the same,said chutebeing twisted so that its lower end assumes a verticalposition, a fulcrumed locking-lever having a latch, a shank extendinginto the re cessed lower end of the coin-chute, and a lug at the underside of the delivery-slide, substantially as set forth.

The combination, in an automatic vending apparatus, of a guided andspring-actuated dcliveryslide having a slot registering with thecoin-slot of the casing of the apparatus, a coin-chute attached to thedeliveryslide below the slot of the same, said coinchutc being twistedso that its lower end as sumes a vertical position, and a pendent gatehinged to the delivery-slidc back of the upper transverse part of thecoin-chute, so that its lower end forms contact with the same and servesto arrest any coin, wire, or other device introduced for tampering withthe releasing mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a casing, a deliveryslide guided in said casing, atwisted coinchut-e attached at its upper end to the delivery-slide andhaving a lower vertical end, a fulcrumed locking-latch engaging a fixedlug of the delivery-slide and having a wire shank extending into thelower vertical end of the coin-chute, and a pivoted guard-arm thatprevents the shank of the locking-lever from passing to the outside ofthe coin-chute, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a casing having a lnerchandise-delivery chute inits upper part- PERCY B. BOSWORTI-I.

WVitnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, CARL KARP.

